Traffic restrictions in Bucharest this weekend for National Cathedral consecration

The authorities announced extensive traffic restrictions for Sunday, October 26, as Bucharest prepares for the consecration of the newly built National Cathedral. The Romanian Patriarchate will host a series of ceremonies to mark the occasion, expected to draw thousands of participants.

According to the Interior Ministry, several major roads in central Bucharest will be closed to traffic between midnight and 10 pm on Sunday.

The affected areas include Unirii Boulevard (between Piața Unirii and Piața Constituției), Calea 13 Septembrie (between Libertății Boulevard and Piața Arsenalului), as well as parts of Libertății Boulevard, Națiunile Unite Boulevard, and Izvor Street. Additional nearby streets will also be closed.

Drivers are advised to avoid the area and follow alternative routes indicated by the Traffic Police.

The main religious service will begin at 7:30 am at the National Cathedral and will be led by a group of hierarchs from Bucharest. Between 10:30 am and 12:30 pm, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church will jointly consecrate the cathedral’s interior paintings, assisted by dozens of bishops, priests, and deacons, according to Basilica.ro.

Access to the cathedral and its surrounding plaza will open at 7 am for around 2,500 official guests inside the cathedral and more than 8,000 faithful attending from the esplanade. Three entry points will be available, namely the main entrance near the Cathedral Chapel and two along Izvor Street.

Other worshippers will be able to follow the ceremony from the surrounding areas of Piața Arsenalului, Izvor Street, and Calea 13 Septembrie, where large screens will broadcast the service live via Trinitas TV.

As thousands of people are expected to venerate the altar after the consecration, the cathedral will remain open day and night from Sunday evening until Friday, October 31, allowing individual pilgrims to pass through the altar in a continuous flow.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos / George Călin)